New FDA Regs; What Isn't Affected?

[mso489]

I have the impression that the new FDA regs affect hookah tobacco, vaping, and pipe tobacco aromatic ingredients, that is non-tobacco flavoring ingredients. Does that mean that non-aromatics are not affected, or are less affected? Are existing blends and brands grandfathered in? Aromatic blends support the industry, so this is no small impact no matter what one smokes. But I was trying to visualize if this leaves some part of the pipe tobacco retail inventory in place. I also realize that this may not have been sorted out yet, but if anyone has a sense of this, I'd like to know more. I guess like many, I have a hard time puzzling out what the language of the communications mean. Secondly, is it at all clear when these changes will be seen?

 

[jacks6]

Everything is affected at this point, including non-aromatic blends.

 

[deathmetal]

Governments come, and governments go. It's a natural pattern of history.

 

[jmatt]

Blends in continuous production since at least 2007 should be ok. Everything else seems at high risk.

 

[tennsmoker]

I just finished going through the FDA tobacco regs. All products deemed as tobacco products, i.e., from a tobacco plant, is affected by the final rule.
This is going to have a wide-reaching effect on all tobacco products, even those around in 2007. If those products have been changed in the slightest way, they come under the new rule, which is going to be expensive.

 

[pipebeast]

Due to this rule I'm now on a mission to sample as much as possible. I've got a long list of blends I'm dying to try before they're gone, quite a bit from C&D

 

[mso489]

The problem is, this herds people toward big stashes of old standards, whereas part of the pleasure of pipe smoking is sampling the new and the old. This also prompts use of single-leaf blending tobaccos to make your own mixes to varying proportions for variety. However, the cost of doing business (getting anything new approved at great expense) makes the whole pastime will get much more expensive. At this point, it looks like pipe smoking regs are mostly collateral damage to regulating hookah, cigars and vape. Given the relatively small number of pipe smokers, it wouldn't pay to regulate them alone, it doesn't seem. Sort of like regulating red haired people who wear argyle socks. I tend to smoke less of blends I buy in quantity because I am often distracted by what's new. But I do mix a lot, so maybe that's my future.

 

[brian64]

Now that the cigarette market has shrunk so dramatically, it stands to reason that "big tobacco" would very much like to take over the small to medium, independent cigar and pipe markets. This is why the FDA is doing this now imo. Time to mop up the little guys.

 

[mso489]

I suspect most of Forums members and other interested pipe smokers will stock up on something -- either just splurge on what you like best, and what you most want to try, or make more calculated investments in what can be mixed and what can be aged (stored), or do both. So it will be a heyday for retailers before the dark clouds descend. This really is the golden age of pipe tobacco blending, apparently coming to an end. Since a disproportionate number of pipe smokers are retirees, it feels like agism. Any mileage in that? GLP, the C&D blenders, and Russ O, and others need to go live on a mountain where they can all be visited by pilgrims for their ancient knowledge.

 

[deathmetal]

Stocking up on ammo and tricorner hats here...

 

[prairiedruid]

Now that the cigarette market has shrunk so dramatically, it stands to reason that "big tobacco" would very much like to take over the small to medium, independent cigar and pipe markets. This is why the FDA is doing this now imo. Time to mop up the little guys.

I think this has more to do with Big Tobacco wiping out the vaping market so their electronic cigarettes takeover. A lot more money in vaping than pipe tobacco.

 

[jacks6]

I've got my tri-corner hat already. Bought 100 - in bulk - just in case

 

[mso489]

The local entertainment freebie tabloid ran an article about the new FDA regs and completely missed anything but the vape market. Clearly, they are oblivious to any impact on cigar bars, pipe tobacco, or even hookah (the hookah absence really surprised me). This also illustrates how the fading print media market has sapped reporting, so either reporters are spread too thin, under trained, or most often non-existent. I may trot off a note, although the audience is wrong, and the editor wouldn't like to point up the gaps in coverage. It might be a warm-up for something more effective (????) later.

 

[brian64]

I think this has more to do with Big Tobacco wiping out the vaping market so their electronic cigarettes takeover. A lot more money in vaping than pipe tobacco.

I don't doubt that, but I know next to nothing about the vaping market, so I wasn't sure to what extent big tobacco is or is not already involved in it. But I would still say that the intent is to mop it all up at this point...cigars, pipes, and vaping...and anything else that can be mopped up along with those.

 

[jitterbugdude]

Whole leaf tobacco is not affected. Neither is growing your own and doing whatever you want with it.

 

[cobguy]

Whole leaf tobacco is not affected. Neither is growing your own and doing whatever you want with it.

Amen, brother! ::

 

[jefff]

I am almost positive I don't want to grow, process, stove or otherwise prepare my own home grown tobacco.

And no one is going to want to smoke my home made Periuqe.

 

[phil67]

Not that it means anything at this point in time, but I honestly believe this whole mess of FDA regulations stems from the vaping market, which obviously has the big tobacco industry (cigarettes) shitting in their pants. That, and a multitude of people being concerned about youngsters vaping nicotine because of the plethora of the candy and fruit flavored shit that is hitting the market on a weekly basis.
As for the intricacies of the new FDA regulations I'm still admittedly a tad puzzled, but I have the feeling that the FDA itself has no f'ing idea what they are. But, not to worry as I'm more than confident that they'll simply make up the rules and change them as they go along. :roll:

 

[jacks6]

And no one is going to want to smoke my home made Periuqe.

I don't think I'd want to smoke anyone's home made Perique! :P
However, anyone that wants to DIY you can buy some mini-barrels here http://www.deepsouthbarrels.com/create/Oak-Barrels?c=234153

 

[mrgunnar177]

Everything is effected and we could possibly be looking at the destruction of the cigar and pipe industry.